Binalot delivers free food to Covid-19 frontliners

Posted on April 1, 2020April 1, 2020

March 31, 2020

KEEPING true to its core values, Filipino fast food chain Binalot has been very busy since the enhanced community quarantine was implemented Luzon-wide on March 17 by President Rodrigo Duterte. Binalot Operations Manager Judee Morente says that free meal packages have been sent and will continue to be sent to hospitals and medical facilities in Metro Manila for health care workers serving as frontliners in the war against Covid-19. “For these modern-day heroes, Binalot can do no less,” she explains.

Binalot Fiesta Foods has always had a heart for corporate social initiatives. Since it put in place its Dahon Program in 2006, Binalot has always been concerned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), particularly SDG 1 which aims for No Poverty and SDG 2 which targets Zero Hunger. Binalot’s Dahon Program has adopted a community in Nagcarlan, Laguna to supply its banana leaves with which to wrap its products for serving and recently even trained them on doable livelihood projects like the production of salted eggs, another Binalot staple food.

Cristina Martinez, Binalot marketing manager adds that in times of crisis like today where ready-to-eat meals are needed, Binalot has always been ready to heed the nation’s call.

The inspiring tandem of Binalot and banana leaves

Posted on February 5, 2020February 5, 2020

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

Little is known how the lowly banana leaves have helped ease the lives of many until the restaurant chain Binalot popularizes the use of the leaves as its food wrapper.

Entrepreneur Rommel Juan, CEO of Binalot Fiesta Food, Inc., saw the opportunity to provide livelihood to some families when he put up Binalot’s DAHON CSR program dubbed DAHON (Dangal at Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon).

Famous for its classic Filipino meals wrapped in banana leaves, Binalot provides livelihood for at least 30 families in Barangay Buhanginan in Nagcarlan, Laguna. From an initial 120 bundles of banana leaves in 2006 this number has grown to 300 bundles each week.

Binalot’s DAHON program expands

Posted on January 15, 2020January 15, 2020

Binalot officers with members of Embrace, representatives from the local government of Nagcarlan, and residents of Barangay Buhanginan enjoy a classic Pinoy boodle fight to celebrate the launch of the Eggciting Harvest Project.

The fruitful relationship between Binalot and Barangay Buhanginan in Nagcarlan, Laguna, started after the devastation of Luzon by Typhoon “Milenyo” in 2006. Harsh winds and heavy rains damaged most of the banana leaves which were being supplied to the fast-food chain.

“Banana leaves are very fragile and most of the trees and leaves were ripped by the strong typhoon. We were then forced to import our leaves from Iloilo but the costs were not sustainable. That was the time we decided to go straight to the source,” recounts Rommel Juan, CEO of Binalot Fiesta Food, Inc.

And so the search for the source started, leading Juan to the quaint town of Nagcarlan nestled at the foothills of the mystic Mount Banahaw in Laguna.

Banana leaves, salted eggs empower Laguna barangay

Posted on January 6, 2020January 6, 2020

(The Philippine Star) – November 9, 2019 – 12:00am

LAGUNA, Philippines —The story of Binalot and Barangay Buhanginan of Nagcarlan, Laguna began in 2006, when Typhoon Milenyo struck the Philippines and drastically depleted Luzon’s supply of banana leaves – the trademark packaging for Binalot’s food offerings. Recognizing the need for a steady supplier come typhoon, floods or other natural calamities, Binalot decided to go straight to the source in Nagcarlan.

On his search, Rommel Juan, CEO of Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc., happened to pass by Buhanginan and there met Rodney Oriel, whose team of four agreed to produce 3,000 pieces of cut banana leaves for Binalot. This partnership eventually grew to involve the whole township and became Binalot’s own corporate social responsibility (CSR) program called the DAHON (Dangal At Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon) Program, which they formally launched in 2007.

Since its genesis, the DAHON Program has not only become a reliable form of livelihood for the inhabitants of Barangay Buhanginan; it has also helped build the barangay’s own dahunan where the townspeople regularly gather to socialize and prepare Binalot’s weekly orders, and has even provided financial support to both students and teachers at the local daycare center. The success of the program has also opened doors for expansion in Pila, Laguna, although main operations remain in Nagcarlan.

Last Oct. 18, Binalot officially launched Eggciting Harvest, a livelihood project under the DAHON Program in partnership with EMBRACE in pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. With the introduction of salted egg production to the program, both parties strive to form long-term partnerships to further empower the community of Barangay Buhanginan.

Binalot set to expand in Asia this year

Posted on February 3, 2016February 3, 2016

BusinessMirror

by Catherine Pillas

February 2, 2016

FILIPINO comfort food concept Binalot is keen on entering three Asian markets in its bid to reach the growing Filipino community in the region, and is vying to close master franchise deals within the year.

Rommel Juan, Binalot president, reiterated his plans of venturing into other Asian countries this year, specifically Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. “We don’t have (presence) in the Asean ye. We are still looking for master franchisees. But we want to enter into deals within the year,” Juan said.

The three countries stand as “priority markets,” owing to the burgeoning Filipino communities in these areas. Other countries targeted for future expansion include Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. Binalot has already ventured into the Middle East with a franchising agreement with the diversified conglomerate Al Ahli Group last year. Its first overseas branch was set up in Al Muraqqabat last September, bndled under the Al Ahli’s “Little Manlia” food concept, which includes five other Filipino food and beverage brands.

The Al Ahli Group is eyeing to open another Little Manila branch in Abu Dhabi this year.

As of end 2015, Bnalot had 34 stores, 10 of them company-owned.

After Dubai, Binalot plans to expand in Asia

Posted on February 3, 2016February 3, 2016

Published PM
February 02, 2016

Updated 12:58 PM
February 02, 2016

Armed with a beefed-uo menu and steady following, Binalot plans to increase its franchise-owned srores in the coming years

MANILA, Philippines-After itsinitial foray into food franchising in Dubai, Binalot Fiesta Foods,Incorporated plans to expand in Asia, particularly in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

“Filipinos are everywhere, dominating the world’s care industry…We want to offer Filipino comfort food that our countrymen will enjoy while they work abroad,” Binalot president Rommel Juan said in a statement on Tuesday, February 2.

Buoyed by the success of its Dubai food franchise, Binalot said it is now actively seeking more foreign franchisees especially whre thre is a large Filipino community.

“We are looking at countries around the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region such as Singaore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia-and even in our other Asian neighbors such as TAiwan, Hongkong and Japan,”Juan said (READ: ASEAN integration and better opportunities in PH)

Binalot, best known for its food items wrapped in banana leaves, hhas 34 branches nationwide in the Philippines.

Armed with a beefed-up menu and steady following, Binalot said it plans to increase its franchise-owned stores in the coming years.

“In the Philippines, our growth is generated by the increase of the call center or business process outsourcing industry, which is set to match or even exceed the overall revenues of OFW remittances by this year,” Juan said.

“For our foreign venture, we are ready to offer our food to the Filipinos abroad who are mostly professionals and do not have time to prepare their meals themselves. Binalot already has the systems and franchise support in place for foreign franchisees,” Juan added.

Established in 1996, Binalot operates using quick-service restaurant business model and is based in Sun Valley Subdivision, Parañaque City with 94 employees, according to its website- Rappler.com

Binalot in Small Businesses of Asia

Posted on May 13, 2015December 1, 2015

(Source: Small Business Of Asia)

The Women That Wraps It All

Posted on March 26, 2015November 20, 2015

(Source: AT IBA PANG PANGYAYARI)

Binalot (www.binalot.com) is one among many companies that practice or observe diversity from the Boardroom, to its Management and to its Franchisees. There are four women out of seven in its Board, there are women leading its operations with Irene Lucas , its COO at the helm of day-to-day activities; three women in Marketing and a woman manager in Business Development. Added to them are the many women cashiers, staff and crew in the stores. The 18-year old Pinoy fast food company credits gender diversity for its continued success.

Women in Binalot are also very much present among the franchise partners. Here we take note of some admirable examples among its business partners.

Ami Romualdo, Franchisee in Fisher Mall QC.

For Ami Romualdo, being a franchisee in Fisher Mall, QC takes her time. But what takes even more time is being a mother of two. So, a franchise business is actually the best deal for a busy mom like her. She can get very hectic at work but it is comforting to know that she can always turn to professionals and more experienced managers to help her run her store.

“It’s also good to have trained staff,” she continues. “At least I do not have to think of everything as all of us got trained in the same way, in the same system,” she declares.

Being women’s month, we focus on these women who balance work and family life and salute them for their ability to harmonize home and business activities.

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